372 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
The following note is by Mr. Thomas Ayres :—“ These birds arrive 
in Natal in October or November, and leave again in March or 
April; they are fond of building under the eaves of houses, con- 
structing a chamber of about eight inches in diameter, with a long 
horizontal neck to it; the nest is lined with fine grass, feathers, and 
down. When flying about in search of food, they constantly utter 
a short note, somewhat resembling the ‘chisick’ of the Sparrow, but 
rather modulated.” The same gentleman has found it in the Trans- 
vaal; and during his visit to the Lydenburg district he also 
noticed the species. Mr. Frank Oates procured it at Tati in 
October. Mr. Andersson gives the following account of the bird 
in South-western Africa :—“ This is not a very common Swallow 
in Damara Land, where it usually arrives later than Hirwndo dimi- 
diata ; it courts the society and neighbourhood of man, and, where 
permitted, will unhesitatingly enter his dwellings and construct its 
nest and rear its young in the midst of the household duties of the 
family. The nest is built of clay, and at first resembles in shape 
that of Hirwndo rustica; but gradually the hollow bowl is nar- 
rowed into a tube of some extent. If the nest be destroyed at this 
stage, the poor bird at once sets about repairing the damage, but 
generally contents itself with rebuilding the dome, to which a 
narrow entrance is added. I have known a pair of these Swallows 
reconstruct their nest three times in one season, the female deposit- 
ing a nearly full complement of eggs on each occasion. At the 
Cape this species commences its incubation towards the latter end 
of September or early in October, but in Damara Land it is some- 
what later. The eggs are four or five in number, of a pure white, 
dotted over with minute brown spots.” Senor Anchieta has pro- 
cured it at Humbe, on the Cunene River, and also at Huilla and on 
the Rio Coroca in Mossamedes. 
Adult.—Head intense sienna, the base of the feathers blue-black, 
shewing occasionally a few markings of this colour on the crown ; 
upper part of back and.scapulars steel-blue, marked with white on 
the extreme upper part at the back of the neck, the feathers being 
edged with whitish ; wing-coverts steel-blue, the edge of the wing 
marked with white, especially on the primary-coverts which are 
all edged with white; quills brownish black, lighter on the inner 
web, washed externally with dark greenish steel-blue; lower part of 
back pale sienna, much lighter on the upper tail-coverts, which are 
